BAZAAR Exclusive! Backstage At Werq The World Tour

When RuPaul’s Drag Race began its humble beginnings in 2009, no one could imagine the massive cultural impact that it would have on the world as millions of people around the world are now exposed to the fabulous work of drag. As the show wrapped its 10th season mid last year, it was even more surprising how far the show has progressed, how many seasons it has aired and how it has won multiple awards, including an Emmy in 2018.

Taking the classic “Project Runway” reality show formula and mixing it up with challenges that are specific to the Drag community, the show has become a cult classic, shooting both the host RuPaul and her girls to fame. Of course, we can’t forget the shade. Oh, girl, the SHADE of it all, as Latrice Royale of Season 4 would say. With the incredible success of the show, the queens would go on world tours and Singapore is always one of their go-to destinations whenever they hit Southeast Asia region.

Related article: The Dress That Changed My Life: Detox From RuPaul's Drag Race

In January 2019, the aptly named ‘Werq The World Tour’, organised by Voss Events came to our sunny shores with beloved RuPaul’s stars; Detox, Kim Chi, Naomi Smalls, Eureka O’Hara, Kameron Michaels, Asia O’Hara and Season 7 winner, Violet Chachki. Tickets were sold out in just a few weeks and fans lined up for their meet-and-greet session before the show began, bursting with excitement and dressed to impress. BAZAAR spent time with the Queens as they got ready and transformed right before our very eyes.

What is your favourite outfit that you’ve ever worn on stage and why?

Detox: My friend, Dallas made me this beautiful corset skirt and coat piece that’s in this hunter green satin material and when you open it up, there’s all these 3D flowers and rhinestones inside. That one is really fun and beautiful. It makes me feel like a goddess.

So, of all the beautiful wigs you own, which is the one wig that you would not want to get snatched?

Violet: I have this one wig that I wear that’s my favourite style, I call it my evil wig. It has like two big pompadour bumps and the back flows down. It’s kind of my signature wig at this point. It’s my favourite for sure and I would never want it to get snatched.

Related article: Violet Chachki Is The First Drag Queen To Land A Lingerie Campaign

What is your guilty pleasure?

Eureka: My guilty pleasure… Probably that I love to watch random documentaries. Like the weirdest ones too, about food processing or the things you didn’t know about chicken or how cheese is truly made. I watch the weirdest documentaries. It’s a guilty pleasure that I never really tell people about because I feel kind of nerdy or weird about it.

Who is your style icon and why?

Naomi: My style icons change constantly with like what kind of mood I try to present with Naomi. Naomi Smalls got her start from being obsessed with 90s supermodels like Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington. They really powered the beginning of Naomi Smalls.

What is one beauty trick you swear by for keeping that beat looking fresh from the start of the show till the end?

Kim Chi: So anybody who has done a show with me knows that I never touch up my makeup. The reason for that is, when I first do my makeup, I just set it so hard. I use as much powder and setting spray as possible. If you do it right the first time, you don’t have to touch it up. So, I guess my beauty trick is, do it correctly.

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What the best memory you have of being on stage?

Kameron: I mean, they’re all amazing but the one that stands out to me was in Melbourne, Australia. After I finished my number, the crowd was screaming so loud, it was almost deafening. I couldn’t even hear. I couldn’t talk on the microphone until they were finished but they were chanting my name. It was very surreal moment to be on the other of the world from where I grew up and for people to be chanting my name, it was very surreal and amazing.

If you could get one designer to design your dream outfit for your very own solo performance, who would it be and why?

Asia: It would definitely be Thierry Mugler, no questions asked. I fell in love with so many things, artistically because of his fashion show in the 90s. I had his book, ‘Fashion, Fetish, Fantasy’. I think he is iconic. He is ahead of his time then and ahead of his time now. He is the most prolific artist to ever be born.

The Werq The World Tour 2019 will begin their second leg at Europe in April, organised by Voss Events. You can purchase your tickets here.